[Part 2] Sunao Nakamura

Lately, I have been feeling a strong sense of joy from being completely absorbed in my work. The feeling of something hot rushing through my body when a dream is realized after challenging myself with high-risk, life-or-death research and development is truly indescribable. One such project was the development of a technology to utilize waste that was previously incinerated or landfilled, by converting combustible materials into flammable gas for fuel and melting non-combustible materials to detoxify them for reuse as raw materials.

I am writing these thoughts now on the Shinkansen, on my way to Hiroshima Prefecture to provide technical guidance for the launch and handover of a power generation facility based on the results of this development. Indeed, it was 12 years ago that I joined the development of this new waste treatment process, after being ordered to return to Japan from my studies in the UK to join the project. Over those 12 years, there were repeated failures and successes, and I faced setbacks so many times that I was prepared to call it quits. There was the anxiety of whether it would be accepted by the world as a product; we had to fully consider that it would not be practical unless users were satisfied not only with its performance but also with its safety and cost. Despite all the challenges, this facility will begin full-scale operation in April, processing 300 tons of waste per day while supplying 20,000 kilowatts of electricity.

Now, the research and development I am currently facing requires the power to create new, valuable technologies for the world on one's own. It is crucial to cast a wide net across the globe, accurately identify what is needed, and determine what to research and develop—in other words, the "What" is of primary importance. Perhaps the biggest thing lacking in today's engineers is the inability to do this. They can do it when told from the top down, "Do this!" but they cannot "Find what you should do yourself!" Could this also be the reason for the popularity of NHK's "Project X"? First comes the 'What,' then the 'Why,' and finally the 'How.' I believe that to burn with passion and be accepted by the world, a researcher must first be able to articulate their own dream and bring it to fruition, and only then can they truly feel a sense of complete fulfillment.

I have recently come to believe that my student days at Keio University, where I received instruction from many professors, were the most important days of my life. Perhaps I have only recently begun to realize many things. As a student, I was absorbed in the present and thinking about tomorrow, and it seems I did not fully understand my true future goals. It has been 21 years since I left the Juku, and whenever I look at the Juku from the outside or recall those days, I feel I am beginning to understand the very precious words of guidance and the dedicated instruction I received. Keio University has its traditions. Although times are changing, I believe that the founding spirit of Yukichi Fukuzawa continues to live on as a major pillar of the Juku's education. As we enter the 21st century, people who can move the times are becoming increasingly important. Even for a Keio University alumni like myself, the passionate spirit instilled in me by the many professors who taught me lives on in my work as a researcher and is a precious treasure. What should I do? Why should I do it? How can I achieve my goal? I believe that the mental strength and drive to endure such self-questioning were born from what I learned at the Juku.

I will be arriving at Fukuyama Station soon. A trip from Tokyo to Hiroshima has become a day trip that takes just under four hours. The progress of the times is fast, and we are required to sharpen our minds and judgment so as not to be left behind. Life is lived only once; what to seek and how to act is something each individual must consider. I feel that it is the passionate spirit of the senior alumni of the Juku that guides us correctly. Therefore, I too will continue to do my best, cherishing the teachings of the Juku's professors, so that future generations and our descendants can prosper and so that we can maintain our wonderful planet. I will press forward as a passionate pioneer.